Hi everyone! I don't post much and have been absent for a little bit, but thats alright. School is busy as ever, and this semester I was lucky enough to have time for an extra class.... a class on The Beatles! Seriously, it's an entire semester studying The Beatles and their music and I couldn't be more excited. We have only met twice so far, but its been great. Its a pretty involved class, and twice during the semester us students have to lead a class lecture on a topic of our choice. SO! my question is, what topics within Beatles info would you speak about for 30-45 minutes as a lecture? I am sure everyone has a favorite part to The Beatles story, so I am interested to hear what people would want to talk about, or learn even.

11 January 20134.41am

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That reminds me, when I went to college (in America in the early 80s), I took a class in "The Sixties" from a history of culture perspective. When the professor got to lecturing (only one day's worth) about the Beatles, he noted that everyone thinks of them as "Englishmen" when really, so he said, they were "three Irishmen and a Jew" (the latter, apparently, referring to Ringo).

You're lucky the Beatles even got that "good" exposure in your school. My high school experience about lectures talking about the Beatles were mostly negative.

Values Class: John Lennon died because the Beatles said they were more popular than Jesus (preposterous eh?)

Music Class: The Beatles was a successful band during the 60's, they were involved in the evolution of Rock and Roll.

Health Class: The Beatles did a lot of drugs and you could hear it from their music.

and etc. etc.

"And in the End the Love you take is equal to the Love you make"
"When I was a robber *Piano Chord* in Boston Place"
"Let's hope this turns out pretty darn good huh"
"Pete may be the best, but Ringo is the star"
Paul:"Don't be nervous John"
John:"I 'm not"

11 January 20138.20pm

fabfouremily

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Something I´d love to know more about is their childhood´s and early days in Liverpool. There are so many books and such like but I´m hungry for more information, can´t get enough of it. Maybe if the rest of your class don´t know much about them then you could explain the importance they had on music, soceity, etc. Is it a class you´re going to 8in which case I assume they know quite a bit), or a class at school? (in which case maybe they don´t.)

Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.

(Passover - I. Curtis)

11 January 201310.25pm

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fabfouremily said Something I´d love to know more about is their childhood´s and early days in Liverpool. There are so many books and such like but I´m hungry for more information, can´t get enough of it. Maybe if the rest of your class don´t know much about them then you could explain the importance they had on music, soceity, etc. Is it a class you´re going to 8in which case I assume they know quite a bit), or a class at school? (in which case maybe they don´t.)

When Paul was writing his "Liverpool Oratorio" he made a documentary of his process, working with a classical composer, talking with the choir members and watching a violinist, etc. At one point, he's riding a bus through the old Liverpool neighborhood with the classical composer and Paul was pointing out landmarks, then he made an interesting observation about John. To paraphrase from memory he said: "You know, everyone thinks John was a 'working class' bloke, like that song 'Working Class Hero' and everything; but actually, he was solidly middle-class and better off than me and George and Ringo."

Paul also said that before the Beatles, John used to hang around with upper middle class intellectual arty farty snobbish types, and once John invited Paul to a party of such types, and at one point they wanted to hear a song from Paul, so with the use of someone's guitar there he improvised a song he thought would impress these "upper-crust" types -- with a little French sprinkled in. It was what later became "Michelle".

linkjws said
twice during the semester us students have to lead a class lecture on a topic of our choice. SO! my question is, what topics within Beatles info would you speak about for 30-45 minutes as a lecture?

Is the class on the more technically musical side? Are those the kinds of suggestions you're looking for?

parlance

Beware of sadness. It can hit you. It can hurt you. Make you sore and what is more, that is not what you are here for. - George

Check out my fan video for Paul's song "Appreciate" at Vimeo or YouTube.

14 January 20133.47am

linkjws

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I am sorry so many people have had bad experiences with other people and The Beatles. I went to a pretty "urban" high school in south Florida, so most people had no idea who The Beatles even were.

parlance said

linkjws said
twice during the semester us students have to lead a class lecture on a topic of our choice. SO! my question is, what topics within Beatles info would you speak about for 30-45 minutes as a lecture?

Is the class on the more technically musical side? Are those the kinds of suggestions you're looking for?

parlance

The class will cover a lot of the technical side of their recordings and songs, simply because The Beatles had lots of "firsts" in the studio. I think a good topic would be the evolution of Paul's bass playing. But, what does anyone else think? If you had to give this lecture, what would you want to talk about? Some people in the class know the band very well, and some have only a vague idea, so I have to keep that in mind. There is a lot of Beatles trivia out there...haha

14 January 20134.11am

Ron Nasty

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I would probably go for the evolution of songs in the studio. Anthology offers plenty of examples of the choices they made, and the ideas they discarded along the way.

"I only said we were bigger than Rod... and now there's all this!" Ron Nasty

14 January 20137.59am

Gerard

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Steve Jobs, I think was once quoted regarding Strawberry Fields Forever as his favourite Beatle song or song atleast. He liked how the song evolved in the studio.

"And in the End the Love you take is equal to the Love you make"
"When I was a robber *Piano Chord* in Boston Place"
"Let's hope this turns out pretty darn good huh"
"Pete may be the best, but Ringo is the star"
Paul:"Don't be nervous John"
John:"I 'm not"

14 January 20134.51pm

linkjws

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Gerell said
Steve Jobs, I think was once quoted regarding Strawberry Fields Forever as his favourite Beatle song or song atleast. He liked how the song evolved in the studio.

Interestingly enough I think an entire days class is devoted to Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane.

14 January 20137.19pm

rcsnydley

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You could pick an album and go through it song by song. Tell who wrote it, date recorded, instrumentation and any other interesting facts.

15 January 201312.37am

Fool in a field of Strawberries

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What if you lectured on the various instruments (besides drums, guitars, and bass) that they used in their songs? You could go through different examples of the instruments by using song examples? I'm not sure if that helps any, but I hope you find an interesting topic!

15 January 20131.40am

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One of the more interesting things about the Beatles is their musical influences when they were just young teenagers, before they all formed their band. What records did they listen to? Why did they like early American blues and proto-rock? How did early American black music (Little Richard, etc.) find its way to England so they could hear it and be influenced? The Beatles were part of the creation of a new musical form, rock & roll.

I've always been fascinated by the social-cultural scene before there was actual rock & roll -- yet there were little clubs and dance halls and school gymnasiums and shopping centers playing some kind of music that resembled rock & roll, but wasn't quite fully-formed; embryonic.

Maybe influences from these people also affected their views in the anti-segregation thingy. Who knows?

"And in the End the Love you take is equal to the Love you make"
"When I was a robber *Piano Chord* in Boston Place"
"Let's hope this turns out pretty darn good huh"
"Pete may be the best, but Ringo is the star"
Paul:"Don't be nervous John"
John:"I 'm not"

15 January 201312.11pm

meanmistermustard

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The beatles image and appearance was the biggest reason for their initial success. Discuss.

Could look into the whole image (long hair, similar clothing, the gang culture of the late 50's and 60's, a sense of belonging and unity) against the music and sound that they were producing in the early days. Admittedly it might become a major book but would be different. Tho im not sure what year you are in so this might be too involved for the work and grade.

Don’t make your love suffer insecurities, trade the baggage of self to set another one free.
('Paper Skin' - Kendall Payne)

15 January 20134.52pm

parlance

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I do like your idea of following the evolution of Paul's bass playing, and you could probably cover the basics in a 30-45 min presentation.

Let us know how it goes. We don't have a Beatles class at my school, but I'll be taking a History of Rock n Roll class in the spring and I'm looking forward to it.

parlance

Beware of sadness. It can hit you. It can hurt you. Make you sore and what is more, that is not what you are here for. - George

Check out my fan video for Paul's song "Appreciate" at Vimeo or YouTube.

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